Dean Henderson: Sam Johnstone's a great guy and Palace will need him

By Alessandro Schiavone at Selhurst Park

Dean Henderson labelled rival goalkeeper Sam Johnstone a "great guy" after Crystal Palace's 3-2 win over Sheffield United on Tuesday night.

The two former Manchester United goalies are friends off the pitch despite competing for that No.1 Selhurst Park shirt.

Yet if anything it's a healthy and not a toxic rivalry between the pair.

Henderson told Capital Football that they have always had each others' backs irrespective of what manager Roy Hodgson decided to do.

He said: "When Sam played I obviously supported him when I was on the touchline with injury.

"Sam's a great guy, we get on really well and we've just to stay professional between us and keep working hard because both will be needed at some stages.

"A goalkeeper gets better with a run of games and nothing really else comes into it."

Ebere Eze stole the show with a sumptuous brace before partner in crime Michael Olise won it late on.

Asked if it was the ex-QPR wizard's best game in an Eagles shirt, Henderson said: "Yeah to be fair like obviously it's the best game I've seen him play for me personally.

"But these boys are getting better and better, they've just come back from injury as well.

"It takes a run of games to get up to that level."